Section 508, ADA Title II, ADA Title III, Section 504 and WCAG compared in one table: who each covers, which WCAG version and level, and the dates that apply in 2026 to 2028.
WCAG is a technical standard. Section 508, the ADA and Section 504 are laws. The laws decide who must make their websites accessible; WCAG is usually what they point to for how. Which law applies depends on who you are: a federal agency, a state or local government, a business, or an organisation that receives federal funding. Here is the whole picture in one table, then the details. General information, not legal advice.
| Section 508 | ADA Title II | ADA Title III | Section 504 (HHS rule) | WCAG | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Part of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 | Part of the Americans with Disabilities Act; DOJ web rule at 28 CFR part 35, subpart H | Part of the ADA covering public accommodations | Part of the Rehabilitation Act; HHS rule at 45 CFR part 84 | A W3C technical standard, not a law |
| Who it applies to | Federal agencies, for the technology they develop, buy, maintain or use | State and local governments, their agencies, special districts, public schools, colleges and libraries, including content provided through contractors | Businesses open to the public | Recipients of HHS federal financial assistance (for example many hospitals and clinics) | Nobody directly; it applies when a law, contract or policy adopts it |
| Technical standard | WCAG 2.0 Level A and AA (via the Access Board's 2017 ICT standards) | WCAG 2.1 Level AA | No technical standard in regulation; DOJ points to WCAG and the Section 508 standards as helpful guidance | WCAG 2.1 Level AA | Versions 2.0 (2008), 2.1 (2018), 2.2 (2023); levels A, AA, AAA |
| Key dates | Refreshed standards in effect since January 18, 2018 | April 26, 2027 (50,000+ population); April 26, 2028 (smaller entities and special districts) | Ongoing; no rule-specific date | May 11, 2027 (15+ employees); May 10, 2028 (fewer than 15) | Not applicable |
| Covers mobile apps? | Yes, as ICT | Yes, web content and mobile apps | Not addressed in a web regulation | Yes, web content and mobile apps | Written for web content; widely applied to apps |
| Who enforces | Each agency, with complaints and reporting through federal channels | Department of Justice; private lawsuits | Department of Justice; private lawsuits | HHS Office for Civil Rights | Nobody |
Dates for Title II and the HHS Section 504 rule are the extended dates from interim final rules published in April and May 2026. The originals were a year earlier.
Section 508 applies to all federal agencies when they develop, procure, maintain or use information and communication technology. The US Access Board refreshed its standards in January 2017, effective January 18, 2018, and they require electronic content to conform to WCAG 2.0 Level A and AA (standard E205.4). The same level applies to software interfaces (E207.2).
Section 508 does not directly bind state and local governments or private companies. It reaches vendors indirectly, because agencies must buy accessible technology, which is why federal buyers ask suppliers for an Accessibility Conformance Report. Some states have also adopted Section 508 in their own laws or policies, so check your state.
In April 2024 the DOJ adopted a rule requiring state and local government web content and mobile apps to meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA. On April 20, 2026 an interim final rule extended the compliance dates to April 26, 2027 for entities of 50,000 people or more and April 26, 2028 for smaller ones and special districts. Nothing else in the rule changed. The rule has five exceptions (archived content, preexisting documents, certain third-party content, individualized password-protected documents and preexisting social media posts), each with conditions. Our ADA Title II deadline guide covers who is covered, the exceptions and a plan.
The DOJ's position is that the ADA applies to the goods and services businesses offer on the web, but there is no regulation setting a technical standard for them. Businesses usually use WCAG 2.1 or 2.2 AA as the practical benchmark. See ADA website compliance for small businesses.
Section 504 bars disability discrimination by recipients of federal financial assistance. In 2024 HHS adopted a rule for its own funding recipients that, like Title II, uses WCAG 2.1 Level AA for web content and mobile apps. A May 2026 interim final rule moved its dates to May 11, 2027 for recipients with 15 or more employees and May 10, 2028 for smaller ones. Other federal departments have their own Section 504 rules; check the one that funds you. A public hospital or university can be covered by both Title II and Section 504, so plan to the earlier date.
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines are published by the W3C. Each version adds success criteria and keeps the old ones, so meeting a newer version at a given level also meets the older one:
Level AA is the level all of these laws use. Level AAA is not required by any of them for whole sites. If you are building something new, designing to WCAG 2.2 AA covers every row of the table above. For the working checks, use our website accessibility checklist or read the full WCAG guide.
Organisations with many department or program sites usually struggle less with the standard than with keeping dozens of publishers consistent. We.Inc's white-label platform lets departments build under one brand, with roles, an approval step before publishing and an audit log. Sites are built with AI and must be tested by your team before publishing; we do not claim WCAG conformance. Book a demo or read about the website platform for government agencies.
Last checked 2026-10-25.
This comparison is general information, not legal advice. Which rules apply to you can depend on details of your funding, structure and state law; speak to counsel.
Section 508 applies to federal agencies and uses WCAG 2.0 Level A and AA. The ADA's Title II covers state and local governments and, under the DOJ's 2024 rule, uses WCAG 2.1 Level AA. Title III covers businesses open to the public and has no set technical standard.
No. WCAG is a technical standard from the W3C. Laws and regulations such as Section 508, the DOJ Title II rule and the HHS Section 504 rule adopt specific versions and levels of it.
WCAG 2.2 Level AA. Each version keeps the earlier success criteria, so meeting 2.2 AA also meets the 2.1 AA and 2.0 AA levels that current US rules reference.
Not directly. Section 508 binds federal agencies. Some states have adopted it in their own laws or policies, and state and local governments are separately covered by ADA Title II.
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